Restoration and management of grasslands

Management agreements for the maintenance of grasslands

**Sites involved in the action

The Basses Vallées Angevines and the Moyenne vallée de la Charente

**Description

The purchased parcels will be under management agreements or agro-environmental contracts with local farmers. The objective will be to seek voluntary farmers and help them to contract agri-environmental measures.

**Expected results

According to the number of plots, it is considered the signing of at least 10 agreements or agri-environment contracts with local farmers.

Conversion of 13 hectares of old poplar into permanent grassland

**Sites involved in the action

Basses Vallées Angevines and Moyenne Vallée de l’Oise

**Objective

Restoring old poplar to find permanent grassland, more favorable to the Corncrake and other grassland birds.

**Description

In recent decades, the poplar has experienced significant growth in flood plains and other wetlands in France. Many poplar appeared and contributed to the partitioning of the space at the expense of grasslands and specific birds.
The objective of this action is the conversion of old poplar into meadows. The action therefore aims at improving the species and habitats conservation status at the site and implement a concerted and coherent management. Heavy restoration works are needed on the relevant parcels.

**Expected results

• In Anjou, the work will be carried out on 5 acres of LPO’s property
• In Picardy, the objective is to restore 8 ha of plots on which the Conservatoire des Espaces Naturels de Picardie has land under management policy or land acquisition.

Management of 2 hectares of reedbeds and tall grass prairies as refuge area

Objectives
Improving the ability to preserve Corncrake broods and other wildlife in the grasslands and increasing food resources on refuge areas.

**Sites concerned

The Basses Vallées Angevines

**Description

Mowing meadows on different sites in Anjou usually take place over a relatively short period in July leaving little refuges for Corncrake broods. Conservation management of these areas is essential to the preservation of broods after mowing.
It is therefore to maintain and manage refuge cover not farmed annually. These fields may evolve in some cases to facies reeds, very interesting, not only for the Corncrake who can find refuge, but also for many passerines during their staging area (Aquatic Warbler) or breeding (Common Grasshopper Warbler and Whinchat).